A Swiss tourist has been sentenced to one year in prison by a court in Bali, Indonesia's predominantly Hindu resort island, after he filmed himself flouting the sacred annual Day of Silence and posted the video to Instagram, provoking widespread outrage among Balinese residents. Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was arrested in March following the rapid spread of the footage on social media and has now been convicted of insulting religious customs — an offence taken seriously under Indonesian law.

The holiday in question, known locally as Nyepi, falls each year in March and represents one of the most significant dates in the Balinese Hindu calendar. On this day, the entire island effectively shuts down: the international airport ceases all flights, internet access is cut, streets are emptied, and residents are expected to remain at home, observe silence, and engage in meditation and introspection. Patrols are deployed to ensure compliance, and the restrictions apply to all people on the island regardless of nationality or religion. Villa staff had explicitly warned Zgraggen about the rules before he ventured out.

Despite these warnings, Zgraggen walked to a beach in Legian, a popular tourist area near Kuta on Bali's western coast, and filmed himself boasting that he had evaded the patrols, using an expletive and describing the tradition as